The invention herein resides in the art of packaging equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to packaging equipment in which bags are sequentially fed from a roll to a filling and sealing station at which materials are deposited into the bag and the bag is sealed and separated from an immediately adjacent bag. More particularly, the invention relates to an implementation of a printer immediately adjacent the sealing station for printing indicia onto the bag immediately prior to its receiving materials and being sealed and separated from the roll. Specifically, the invention relates to a combination of a package sealer and printer.
Presently, it is well known to employ packaging equipment which allows for the dispensing of bags in the form of a web from a roll of bags to a filling station. At the filling station, materials, such assembly parts or the like are placed in the bag, following which the bag is sealed and separated from the web. Known packaging equipment of this type, often referred to as xe2x80x9cbaggers,xe2x80x9d generally include an air blower at the bagging station to blow the bag at the station open for easy receipt of the materials to be deposited therein. The bags on the web are typically perforated to allow for ease of separation from the web following filling and sealing. Generally, the bags into which the materials are placed are preprinted, the printing on the bag indicating either directly or by inference the specific materials received therein. While this type of an approach to packaging of parts and materials is generally acceptable and reasonably efficient where a large number of bags are to be sequentially filled with a complement of parts or materials, present systems are not given to customized packaging.
There are numerous applications for packaging systems in which the materials to be placed in the bags sequentially passing through the packaging station differ from bag to bag or, at the very least, vary among groups of bags. Moreover, while present packaging systems are typically given to relatively high degrees of accuracy, the applicability of packaging systems to applications demanding extremely high levels of accuracy are becoming more apparent. Presently, it is contemplated that prescription medicines may be dispensed using such packaging systems. Particularly, at hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions requiring high volumes of medication, packaging tailored to the specific needs of the numerous patients and residents being cared for is quite attractive. Obviously, when dispensing medications, it is extremely important that the proper medications are placed into the bag before it is sealed and that the medications are associated with the specifically intended recipient, whether a patient or resident. Indeed, in such instances, it is most desirable that the patient""s name, identification number, medication, and time for taking the same all be on the packaging receiving the medication. It is further important that the information respecting the medications to be packaged in the bags be made available to the operator of the packaging system at the time the bag is presented for filling.
There is a need in the art for a system which allows for the printing, filling and sealing of bags at a single station and which assures the materials placed in the bag comport with the labeling on the bag.
In light of the foregoing, it is a first aspect of the invention to provide a packaging sealer printer in which sealing and printing apparatus are maintained together.
Another aspect of the invention is the provision of a packaging sealer printer in which the printing of a bag immediately precedes its filling and sealing.
Another aspect of the invention is the provision of a packaging sealer printer which accommodates customized packaging activities.
Still a further aspect of the invention is the provision of a packaging sealer printer in which the specific materials to placed into a bag are printed on the bag immediately prior to its being filled and the information regarding such filling is then displayed on a screen at the time such bag is indexed for filling.
Still a further aspect of the invention is the provision of a packaging sealer printer which is highly accurate in operation, easily programmable to accomodate any of a broad range of packaging characteristics, and conducive to implementation with state of the art packaging sealers and printers.
The foregoing and other aspects of the invention which will become apparent as the detailed description proceeds are achieved by a packaging system, comprising: a roll of bags to be filled with product; a filling station to which bags are indexed and at which the product is placed into the bags and the bags are sealed; a printer interposed between said roll of bags and said filling station; and a control unit operatively interconnected between said roll of bags, printer and filling station, said control unit effecting the printing, indexing, filling and sealing of said bags.
Other aspects of the invention which will become apparent herein are achieved by a roll of bags for use in a packaging system, comprising: a continuous web of interconnected open ended bags, said bags being separable by perforations passing laterally across said web; and wherein each bag of said web has an aperture passing therethrough, said aperture allowing passage completely through each said bag in a direction normal to said web.
Still further aspects of the invention are attained by a method for filling bags with product, comprising: indexing a continuous web of bags, one-by-one, to a printing station; printing information on a bag at the printing station relative to a product to be placed into the bags; indexing the continuous web of bags, one-by-one, from the printing station to a filling station; presenting the printed bag at the filling station; filling product into the printed bag at the filling station, sealing the printed bag, and removing the sealed, filled and printed bag from the web; and continuing the sequential printing, filling, sealing and removing until a desired quantity of such bags has been processed.